Lavlin Case: Notice to Pinarayi and others

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued notice to three, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who were acquitted by Kerala High Court in the SNC Lavlin case.

On the petition filed by the CBI, the apex court issued notice to K. Mohana Chandan and A Francis in addition to Vijayan. The court considered the petitions filed by M Kasturiranga Iyer, R Sivadasan, K Rajashekharan Nair and former KPCC president VM Sudheeran.

At the same time, the court stayed the trial of two accused, who were declared guilty by the High Court, KSEB officials M Kasturiranga Iyer, R Shivdasan and K Rajashekharan Nair. The petitioner approached the SC with the contention that the High Court verdict which exonerated three, including Pinarayi was discriminatory, and the court issued notice to the CBI asking for explanation.

The apex court while accepting the petition, also decided to issue ntices returnable in four weeks to the defendants. The petition was considered by a bench consisting of Justice N V Ramana, Abdul Nasseer. The court will hear the case again after receiving the reply for the notices.

Three of the defendants including eightth defendant Pinarayi Vijayan were cleared by the High Court. The SNC Lavlin case was that the defendants caused the state exchequer financial losses in contracts related to hydro-electric projects in Idukki district, i.e. Pallivasal, Chengulam and Panniyar. The contracts were awarded to Canadian firm SNC Lavlin and the allegations included violation of contract provisions resulting in loss of Rs 374 crores to the state exchequer.

In August 1995, G Karthikeyan, the then Electricity minister under the UDF government signed an MOU with SNC Lavlin first. It was during his term again that a consultancy agreement for the Lavlin project was signed on 26 February 1996. However, the final agreement with SNC Lavlin was signed during the LDf ministry's term when EK Nayanar was the chief minister and Pinarayi Vijayan the electricity minister.

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